


maze of stars and hearts

by Phoenix_Allura (Artemis_Autumn_Marie)



Series: Nix's Thominho Week 2018 [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Fluff, Implied Sick Character, M/M, Off-screen Character Death, That's it, The admirals are dicks, Thominho Week, Thominho Week 2018, wait no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 10:17:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15313356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Autumn_Marie/pseuds/Phoenix_Allura
Summary: Day Two of Thominho Week: Crossover AU. I started writing a Shadowhunters AU, but that would have taken forever since I was just rewriting the first book with Maze Runner characters. If I ever have time I might go back and finish it. Minho's, Thomas's, and Brenda's last names are all from the Death Cure book, the rest I made up.





	maze of stars and hearts

Minho stared at their new Captain. He was young, but they said he was a genius. And Alby had promoted him from Science Officer to First Officer, demoting Minho and leaving Thomas as their Captain.  
"Mr. Park."  
"Captain."  
"Please, call me Thomas. If we're to be working closely together as I intend, then it's only fair we are familiar." Minho only nodded. "I'd like to ask you to be my First Officer, Mr. Park, as you were for Alby." Of course, the boy knew Alby well enough to call him by his first name.  
"I would be honored," Minho said. "But are you sure the role of Captain is one you want to take? You don't have to, you know. Newt and I are willing enough to be Captain, and you're so young." Not that Minho had much to say anything. He was only twenty-one himself.  
"I know. I don't get much of a choice, though. Admiral Paige has informed me that I am to serve as Captain at least five years on this ship, if not more." So he did not want to be Captain? Minho knew for most children it was a dream- it had been for him- and his new Captain was only sixteen.  
"If you wish, you can serve as Captain in name only. You could continue your work as a science officer and I could do most of the Captain's work for you." Minho offered. Thomas shook his head, looking exhausted.  
"If only it was that easy. Admiral Paige is going to be checking in every now and then, with no warning. I have no choice."  
"Well, she can't expect you to start working today. You look exhausted and half-ill."  
"Thanks, that's exactly how I feel." Thomas chuckled. "Yeah, I should go see Gally, but I haven't gotten around to it yet."  
"I'll walk you there. We can't have our new Captain collapsing in the halls and scaring everyone to death."

Minho had had his doubts about Captain Murphy, in the beginning, but he had quickly proved himself to be adept at adapting to whatever situation might arise. He had, in those first few years, often asked his bridge crew their opinion and for advice. Minho was proud to say he no longer needed their advice as much as he once had.  
"Welcome home, Captain Murphy." Admiral Paige said. "And this is your bridge crew?" She indicated that she would like to be introduced to them as if she didn't already know.  
"Yes; my first officer, Commander Minho Park." Minho nodded shortly at her. "Commander Harriet Grey, my communications officer, Commander Newton Isaacs, my navigator, Lieutenant Commander Sonya Isaacs, my helmsman and astrophysicist, Dr. Galileo Farrone, my chief medical officer, and Lieutenant Brenda Despain, my chief engineer."  
"I trust you've had a fine five years together?" Admiral Paige asked.  
"Yes, of course. We've got a good Captain and a tight-knit crew." Brenda answered.  
"I see. Captain, the admirals and I want to speak with you. The rest of you can get settled into your rooms here." She led Thomas away, and the rest of the bridge crew walked together to their rooms.  
"I assume the admirals will want to speak with all of us," Minho said.  
"We'll be ready. The Captain will admit to his failings, and if they ask about him, I'll say that at first, he was young and unsure, but he has grown past that and now is confident in his decisions," Newt said.  
"He really does know what he's doing," Gally admitted. "Even if we can never get him to take a break."  
"He's in the role of both Chief Science Officer and Captain, what do you expect?" Sonya said. "Besides, if he stays on as Captain, he's going to hire a couple of ensigns and promote Fry to Chief Science Officer."  
"Why couldn't he do that before?" Harriet frowned.  
"Paige refused to allow it," Minho said. "When he asked me if I would stay on as his first officer, he said he'd give up the captaincy if Paige would let him. Maybe now she will."  
"Commander Park?" They weren't even halfway across the building yet. "The admirals want to speak with you alongside your Captain. Someone will deliver your bags to your room." Minho nodded.  
"The Captain and I will join you as soon as possible." Minho followed the messenger to the admirals' conference room.  
"Commander Park is here, Admirals." The boy said, then he hurried away. Minho knew the feeling well.  
"It's nice to see you, Admirals," Minho scanned the room. "And it's good to see you're all in good health."  
"Same to you, Commander. Your Captain tells us you've done an excellent job of guiding him through his first troubling years of captaincy." Admiral Janson said.  
"I'd have to say he did well to ask for guidance when he needed it and working off instinct." Minho kept his tone even.  
"Of course he did. And so young, too. Younger than Captain Kirk, even. But what we're worried about are the few incidents in his first year of commanding The USS Valhalla." Of course they would go after something like that.  
"Those incidents were all handled as quickly as possible; For one Captain Murphy was in a coma most of the time. Might I remind the council that he was also sixteen years old?"  
"Are you saying sixteen-year-olds are incompetent?" Another admiral threw at him.  
"Not at all, ma'am. I'm saying that Captain Murphy was thrown into a captaincy at a very young age- too young, some might say- from being the second to the Chief Science Officer. The late captain Einstein promoted him to first officer based on his merit. I don't doubt his decision- it has brought about some of the best five years of my life- but I do wonder at the decision of the Federation to leave a sixteen-year-old with no guidance but that of his bridge crew."  
"Well said, Commander." Admiral Paige said. "The decision, mostly my own, is something we have puzzled over for several years. But Captain Murphy has proved himself time and time again."  
"Indeed." Minho didn't like the look in Janson's eye. "We'll be hearing from the rest of your crew shortly, but Commander Park, Captain Murphy, you are free to go. You have a week or more of shore leave, depending on how look deliberations take. Enjoy it."  
"Thank you, Admiral." Minho turned and left. Thomas followed a minute later. Minho waited until they were far enough away from the conference room to speak.  
"What are they talking about? What are they going to do?"  
"They're wondering if, perhaps, I shouldn't have a ship at all. Some want to make me an admiral, but most want me to go back the academy."  
"You started advanced courses the same year I did, at twelve. You graduated at sixteen. Like, I'm pretty smart, but that's impressive. They can't send you back."  
"They totally can. They can say my grades aren't what a Captain needs."  
"You had straight A's and a 7.9 GPA from testing out of a dozen classes."  
"I didn't know you kept track of my grades, Minho."  
"When I was told you were joining the ship, I did some research." They hadn't been in the same circles; Thomas had kept to himself and most everyone had avoided him anyway, being so young, and Minho had been swamped with work. Newt, of course, was someone they had had in common, and his younger sister, Sonya, was only three years older than Thomas opposed to the five for the rest of them. Thomas laughed. "It's cool, Minho. I did the same thing, had a bit of a crush on you for a few years." Minho had known. Teenage Thomas was not nearly as subtle as he meant to be, and the first time he realized he couldn't read Thomas's face had really been a curveball.  
"What if I told you I have a bit of a crush on you now?" Minho blurted, then immediately wished he hadn't. He was five years older, Thomas was his superior officer, it would never work.  
"Well, I wished you'd waited to say that." Thomas frowned. "At least until we were on The Valhalla again. If the admirals get wind of it-"  
"Captain Kirk and Commander Spock had a relationship and it worked out just fine," Minho told him. "But it can wait, trust me. We've got bigger things to worry about. Everyone should be in their rooms by now if they haven't been summoned. Let's get settled in."  
"I've never been here long enough to take a good look around," Thomas began. "Maybe we can find some nice restaurants and take the crew out for dinner and then sightseeing."  
"That would be fun," Minho agreed. "But we've got a week of shore leave, let's not do everything in one day." They reached their rooms.  
"I think I'm going to take a nap. The admirals are tough." Thomas said.  
"Okay. I'll find out where the rest of our crew is." Minho couldn't say he wasn't worried for his Captain; twenty one was still too young for all of this, and he had been sick for a week before they landed. Thomas wasn't often ill, but when he was, it hit him hard. If he fell ill again, here, the admirals wouldn't permit him a ship anytime soon.  
"Commander, Captain." Gally stepped outside his room. "I heard you talking. I'm the only one who hasn't been summoned yet, but I'm sure I will be soon. Captain, are you ill? You look pale."  
"I'm only tired, Doctor," Thomas reassured him. "I'll be fine after a nap."  
"Of course, Captain," Gally agreed quickly. "Minho and I had best let you go in and rest, then."  
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll see you both later." Thomas opened his door and stepped into his room.  
"You better unpack, Minho, you didn't get the chance to yet. And I believe I have to leave." Gally nodded at the pageboy hurrying towards them. Gally went to meet him, leaving Minho alone in the hall.  
They met at Sapphire Sisters, one of many of a family-run chain established centuries ago. The building, brightly lit and up-to-date, still held touches of its origin century.  
"This is a nice place," Harriet said. "I came here a lot when I was younger. It's passed down the female line. It never goes to a son- always to a daughter, a niece, a sister."  
Minho had to agree- it had an old-style feel to it while being modern. He wondered if the entire twenty-first century had been like that.  
"The admirals seemed impressed with you, Thomas. They didn't speak more than a two dozen words to me, but they seem to like you."  
"They didn't seem to like him when I was there," Minho said.  
"Maybe because they called for you before they finished speaking with me," Thomas said. "From what I've heard, the admirals never give out direct praise, not unless they're firing or promoting you."  
"I've heard the same. Thomas, are you sure you're alright?" Sonya asked.  
"I'm fine, Sonya. Besides, I was sick last week; we all know that means I'll be fine for at least a year." Thomas smiled, eyes and tone teasing, and Minho was relieved. Thomas didn't often joke, and never when he was sick. He might be deflecting, but he'd said earlier he was only tired. So Minho laughed with everyone else.

Thomas's head was throbbing. He laughed and joked and acted as he often did- he would eat, and then this headache would go away. He knew, soon enough, he and Minho would have to deal with the mutual affection on both sides, but if they could wait until they were away from the admirals, that would be best.  
"So, who wants to go see a movie tomorrow?" Gally asked as they finished eating. "We could see something new instead of rewatching old movies all the time."  
"That sounds fun. Maybe they have a horror film playing." Sonya grinned, and Thomas held up his hand for a high five as everyone groaned.  
"Don't tell me you like horror, Tommy. Sonya's made me watch some truly terrifying things." Newt said.  
"I do indeed like horror. In fact, since none of you will watch horror movies on our movie night, Sonya and I, along with a few others, created a club dedicated solely to horror movies."  
"There's an entire club of you?!" Newt gasped.  
"Yeah, and about half the people here are in it." Harriet grinned. "I'm in it, Newt. As is Brenda."  
"We might have to split up, then, go see two different movies," Minho said.  
"Nah, we'll agree on a movie. We always do." Brenda said. It was true.  
"Right now we need to get to bed. We have to get used to being on Earth again, including the typical sleep schedule." Gally glared at them all as they left.  
"I'm not sure San Francisco has a regular sleep schedule, Gally," Newt said. "But you're the doc, you know best." Everyone returned to their room at a decent time- the admirals couldn't complain they stayed out all night. They knew they were being watched. They were one of the youngest Alpha shift crews in the history of the Federation.

"Captain Murphy!" They had just left the movie theater after seeing a twenty-first-century movie, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and a messenger is already hunting them down. Minho sighed.  
"Captain Murphy, the admirals are done discussing your situation. They'd like you all to meet them in their conference room."  
"Thank you," Thomas said.  
"I'll let them know you'll be with them soon." The kid ran off, leaving them to wander back to the council chambers as they pleased.  
"Admirals, how good to see you all again," Thomas said, entering the room first.  
"And you, Captain." Admiral Paige said... warmly? Minho had thought that she disliked Thomas. Everyone else murmured the pleasantries.  
"You all may sit, we'll not keep you standing today." They sat.  
"Now, over the past few days, both before your arrival and after speaking with you, we've been discussing the matter of leaving such a young crew without much guidance." Admiral Paige began.  
"You've done extraordinarily well without our guidance, however, and that's why we'd like to ask you to take a new ship. The Valhalla is ten years old this year, and Captain Murphy, we want to offer you and your crew a chance to design and oversee the building of your own starship. The basic plans are drawn up, but the rest is for you to decide." Admiral Janson finished. "Captain, I understand you have a background in engineering and architecture. Lieutenant Despain, I assume you would be overseeing most of the engineering issues?" Brenda nodded. "You will be allowed to name this ship, of course."  
"And, Captain Murphy, you will be allowed your choice of applicants to your ship. I think you will find it much bigger than the Valkyrie." Another admiral said. It was true that the Valkyrie was much smaller than most ships.  
"Thank you, Admirals, for this honor," Thomas said.  
"It is our pleasure, Captain," Admiral Paige said. "You and your crew are dismissed." So they'd all been called here for what was, at most, a five-minute conversation? They said their goodbyes and left the admirals chatting.

Minho grinned. The first officer's quarters were perfect. Of course, they still had the shared bathroom with the Captain's quarters, but Minho didn't mind that at all.  
"Captain, if I may?" He knocked on Thomas's door.  
"Come in, Mr. Park." Minho opened the door. "It's been a long year, hasn't it?" They'd spent a year on Earth. It was longest any of them had gone without seeing space in several years.  
"It has. But I can't say good things haven't come of it." They'd moved that talk up when they knew they weren't getting back on the Valhalla. Minho sat on the bed next to Thomas. "What are you thinking about?" Thomas shrugged.  
"Everything, really. We've got more people now than ever, and I don't know how I'll command a ship this big."  
"Well, you'll delegate. Brenda has engineering down, Gally's got the doctors and nurses, and Fry's got all the sciencey people."  
"Did you really just say 'sciencey'?" Thomas laughed.  
"I did. Now, Captain, let's go greet the stars."  
"If you insist, Mr. Park." They headed to the bridge, Minho's arm wrapped around Thomas's waist.  
"Captain, it's good to see you. And you, of course, Minho." Newt said. "Come to say goodbye to Earth?"  
"They've come to greet the stars, Newt, they're like me," Harriet said. "Looking ahead of us, not behind." Everyone laughed. "Come up here, lovebirds." They did, and as the stars came into clearer view, Minho kissed Thomas lightly. Yes, this mission would go well. He was sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> So, what is their next adventure going to be? Kudos, comment, tell me what you think.
> 
> See you tomorrow,  
> Phoenix
> 
> I don't own Maze Runner or Star Trek.


End file.
